Banning said in a preseason interview he hoped the momentum from the Panthers' season-finale shutout of Lamar in 2004 would carry over into the early part of the 2005 season, and his team didn't let him down.

The Panthers pulled off a 20-7 victory over the AAAA Huntsville Eagles at Metheny Field, giving them their first 1-0 start since 1999.

"We played with such enthusiasm," Banning said. "That's been the whole emphasis for us during the spring and summer. For them to be a AAAA school and to come down here and for us to really dominate them is very exciting."

The Panthers got on the board midway through the second quarter, beginning their drive at Huntsville's 24-yard line. Running back Justin Kremers carried the ball seven yards, and Daniel Rush carried five more to set up a quarterback keeper by Brett Ballard and to give the Panthers a first down at the Huntsville 14.

Kremers carried the ball eight yards on the first down, and Trenton Parks carried the remaining six yards for the touchdown. An extra-point kick by Ivan Garcia put the Panthers up, 7-0, with 9:06 remaining in the first half.

Clarksville's second score came early in the second half. A Huntsville fumble on the kickoff was recovered by Clarksville's Justin Wood, setting the Panthers up at the Eagles' 29-yard line. Ballard connected on a pass play with Wesley Plugge, who carried the ball to the 10-yard line.

Nick Lyons, the senior running back who carried for more than 450 yards in 2004, took the ball on second down, coming close to the goal line before he fumbled, dropping the ball in the end zone. He recovered the fumble, however, and another successful PAT by Garcia put the Panthers ahead, 14-0.

Ballard scored Clarksville's final touchdown on a 10-yard run with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Huntsville's lone score came when Eagle defender Brandon Thompson blocked Ballard's punt late in the game. Thompson carried the ball deep into Clarksville territory before he was tackled at the 12 by Lyons. The Panther defense held the Eagles for three downs, but on the fourth attempt, Huntsville's Owen Davis caught a pass in the end zone for the score.

"We had a punt blocked that gave them a touchdown, and that's something we'll have to work on," Banning said. "We have to correct some errors because when we get into the conference, we have to play complete games."

Banning said he was especially proud of the defensive effort.

"I really thought Coach Dougan had our defense schemed to the max," Banning said. "They were bigger than us but not as fast, but we really stopped them. I thought it was really a case of us wearing them down."

Plugge was a strong force for the Panthers defensively, with several major tackles, including two for a loss and one fumble recovery. Drew Cogan also made several key tackles. The Panther defense held Huntsville to less than 50 yards in total offense.

Overall, Banning said he was very proud of his team.

"Considering where we've been and where we are now, I'm pretty excited," he said. "We got our season started exactly the way we wanted to. We're 1-0."

The Panthers will host Ozark Sept. 9. The Hillbillies will come to Metheny Field 0-1 after falling to Charleston 23-0 Friday.